Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) superintendent Earnest Winston visited Providence Day School as a guest speaker for the Ninth Grade Charger Impact Challenge. This program educates students about issues the city of Charlotte faces related to sustainability, education, affordable housing, and food insecurity. Ninth-grade students were joined by their peers in AP US Government and Politics while Upper School teacher Jordan Benoit interviewed Winston on the stage.

Winston addressed the role public education plays in a democracy and believes when done right, it has the ability to lift citizens out of poverty. “If you are an advocate for kids and you want all kids to succeed, then you don’t draw a boundary or say, ‘I’m going to advocate for these kids because they attend this school or school system,’” he says. “I want to see all kids succeed.”

CMS relies on partnerships through other schools, community organizations, faith communities, businesses, and philanthropies. A pivotal partnership is with CMS Foundation, which launched a campaign called Connect for Tech that raised millions of dollars to provide hotspots and devices for students struggling during the pandemic. Local businesses and federal dollars also contributed laptops and hotspot access to make sure families had the access they needed to operate in a virtual environment.

Other important issues including guns on campuses, Title IX, and technology were addressed through questions from students. “Students are speaking up, and the system is working,” says Winston. “It takes the entire community being involved in the educational system in order for all students to have a chance to thrive and reach their full potential. Challenges present opportunities. My parents told me a long time ago it’s not if but when you get knocked down, so how do you respond? Do you get back up?”

Winston attended Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, and joined the staff of The Transcript, the oldest student-run newspaper in the United States. After graduating, he worked as a reporter for The Charlotte Observer where he covered local government. Winston joined CMS in 2004 as an English teacher at Vance High School, now Julius L. Chambers High School, where he also taught journalism and advised the student newspaper. 

In 2008, Winston became Executive Coordinator and served as Chief of Staff for two superintendents. Then in 2017, Winston was named Chief Community Engagement and Relations Officer. In 2019, he became superintendent for CMS which encompasses 180 schools, over 140,000 students, and 19,000 employees. His two daughters are currently enrolled in the CMS system.